Life skills are abilities that enable humans to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of life. These skills are also known as psychosocial competencies and can be directed towards personal actions or actions towards others, as well as towards actions to change the surrounding environment to make it conducive to health. Life skills are a product of synthesis, and many skills are developed simultaneously through practice. Some examples of life skills include:
- Personal hygiene
- Time management
- Communication skills
- Decision-making
- Problem-solving
- Critical thinking
- Creative thinking
- Interpersonal relationship skills
- Self-awareness building skills
- Empathy
- Coping with stress and emotions
- Parenting skills
There is no definitive list of life skills, and certain skills may be more or less relevant depending on an individuals life circumstances, culture, beliefs, age, geographic location, etc. . However, the World Health Organization identified six key areas of life skills: decision-making and problem-solving, creative thinking and critical thinking, communication and interpersonal skills, self-awareness and empathy, coping with stress and emotions, and coping with and managing ones life. Life skills are often taught in the domain of parenting, either indirectly through the observation and experience of the child, or directly with the purpose of teaching a specific skill. By learning new skills, we increase our understanding of the world around us and equip ourselves with the tools we need to live a more productive and fulfilling life, finding ways to cope with the challenges that life inevitably throws at us.
